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From Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton's game of hide-and-seek to Lana facing her fears against Nia Jax, this week's edition of WWE RAW featured many contrasting moments.
The Red brand delivered an entertaining go-home episode before WWE TLC, which did a good job in getting WWE fans excited for this Sunday's pay-per-view. There were some notable takeaways from most segments or matches that aired this week, even though a few booking decisions were questioned after the show was over.
Let us know what you thought about this particular episode in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE RAW (December 14, 2020).
#5: Jaxson Ryker returned to the main roster as a follower of Elias on WWE RAW
The Forgotten Sons star, Jaxson Ryker, had been taken off from WWE TV after he made some controversial comments during the Black Lives Matter movement earlier this year.
While Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake of The Forgotten Sons have become King Corbin's henchmen over on WWE SmackDown, Ryker returned in a recent episode of Main Event alongside Elias.
In that particular Main Event episode, 24/7 shenanigans took over Elias and Ryker's segment. A similar variation of that scenario played out on this week's WWE RAW, as R-Truth's unintentional interruption invited several WWE Superstars to come out and chase the 24/7 Champion.
Out of those Superstars, Gran Metalik was attacked by Jaxson Ryker to end the segment.
Elias and Ryker's partnership stems from The Drifter being enlightened after getting electrocuted in the Symphony of Destruction match against Jeff Hardy.
Ryker chose the path to Walk With Elias as a part of The Drifter's grand vision, and it looks like both of them will be featured together as a staple duo on the Red brand from this point onwards.
Finally, Elias has a bodyguard that could protect him from any uninvited guests during his concerts on WWE RAW.
#4: Keith Lee was defeated by The Miz and John Morrison in a handicap match on WWE RAW
Keith Lee has recently been in the news after being sent to the WWE Performance Center along with several other Superstars.
There is no denying that he has been a part of some of the best matches on the Red Brand in recent memory. So the news of him being sent to the PC came as a surprise to many WWE fans.
On this week's RAW, The Limitless One took on The Miz and John Morrison in what was an entertaining match, for the most part.
The Dirt Sheet duo was eventually able to pin down the big man for a successful three count. Some WWE fans on social media didn't like the fact that Lee lost in this case, even though losing against two men in a handicap match is the more likely outcome in these kinds of situations.
The result also gave The Miz some much-needed steam as the MITB briefcase holder.
Keith Lee may not have won against The Dirt Sheet duo, but the scope to build him as a megastar on WWE RAW pretty much remains the same.
#3: Lana got sidelined from WWE TLC despite defeating Nia Jax; Mandy Rose returned to WWE RAW
Lana's underdog storyline had made her a sympathetic figure in the past few weeks. WWE TLC was supposed to be the event where the buildup to her storyline could have paid off in a huge way.
Lana defeated her arch-nemesis, Nia Jax, on this week's WWE RAW. Her appearance at the TLC event was compromised when Jax and Baszler brutalized Lana inside the ring after Jax lost to the aforementioned star.
Asuka was laid out backstage by Baszler beforehand, so The Empress of Tomorrow arrived at Lana's rescue a bit too late.
Lana did a great job in selling the ambush, and one couldn't help but feel pity for her after she was taken off from the TLC card.
Later in the night, Shayna Baszler and Dana Brooke's match ended in a disqualification when Nia Jax got involved. This led to the return of Mandy Rose, who came to the aid of her tag team partner.
Asuka also arrived to help Brooke and Rose so that the heels could retreat for the night. The WWE RAW Women's Champion needs to find a new partner at TLC to face Nia and Shayna for the Women's Tag Team Titles.
Could someone like Charlotte Flair return at the aforementioned pay-per-view this Sunday and renew her rivalry with Nia Jax?
#2: AJ Styles proved that the odds are stacked against Drew McIntyre during the WWE Championship ascension ceremony
The Miz kicked off this week's WWE RAW alongside John Morrison, AJ Styles, and Omos, with a theatrical enactment of The Nightmare before TLC, which was entertaining under the context of The Dirt Sheet duo's silly personas.
Sheamus took on AJ Styles in a singles match soon after, and The Phenomenal One was able to defeat The Celtic Warrior on WWE RAW.
The final segment of the night saw Styles and Drew McIntyre cutting promos against each other as the WWE title was ascended above the ring for TLC.
Both men haven't faced each other in a one-on-one match, so there are a lot of stakes involved heading into this Sunday's pay-per-view. Not only does Styles have Omos by his side, but The Miz and John Morrison would rather prefer a scenario where McIntyre isn't the WWE Champion.
So the numbers were stacked against The Scottish Warrior on the go-home edition of RAW, just like they will be at WWE TLC. McIntyre was able to stay dominant when the ascension ceremony got out of hand, but AJ Styles eventually got the better of his TLC opponent.
The Phenomenal One retrieved the WWE title that was hung above the ring, thus providing a potential sneak peek of what will go down at TLC.
Drew McIntyre will most likely retain at the aforementioned pay-per-view, but WWE did a good job in building up AJ Styles as a credible threat on the road to TLC.
#1: Bray Wyatt got trapped in a box that was lit on fire by Randy Orton after a game of hide-and-seek; The Fiend emerged from the flames and attacked Randy Orton on WWE RAW
Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton's arc for this week's WWE RAW began with Wyatt cracking a few jokes, so it was an excellent contrast when their arc for this episode ended with Randy Orton's vicious segment.
There were a lot of easter eggs planted throughout their segments, and WWE fans also got to see Bray Wyatt reliving his Eater of Worlds days by sitting on the old rocking chair.
Along the way, Orton and Wyatt's game of hide-and-seek allowed Bray to interact with some Superstars in unexpected backstage crossovers.
Riddle made a bro-nouns pitch to Bray Wyatt for the Firefly Fun House, but he had to settle for an autograph from Ramblin' Rabbit. Wyatt also interacted with R-Truth, and the naive 24/7 Champion couldn't help but point out what a lovely family Bray Wyatt had built with his puppets.
The main takeaway from Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton's storyline from this week's WWE RAW was that Orton can easily manipulate Bray Wyatt, even to this day.
But The Viper admitted to having been outmaneuvered by The Fiend, and he was outmaneuvered by Wyatt's alter-ego once again, on the go-home edition of RAW before TLC.
Randy Orton has a history of setting things on fire, but supernatural entities like The Undertaker and The Fiend always manage to rise from those flames.
In the video embedded above, do check out former WWE Head Writer Vince Russo's thoughts on all that went down during this week's RAW in the latest edition of Legion of RAW with Dr Chris Featherstone.
